| | | | |  | | By Jeremy B. White and Chris Ramirez | Presented by Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids | THE BUZZ — MANDATE ROLLBACK: Restrictions relaxed on multiple fronts in the last few days. From the CDC came word that most Americans can lose masks inside thanks to nosediving infection rates — a national version of California's recent decision to dissolve its own statewide mask mandate. Neither is comprehensive because locals retain their own authority. Los Angeles County remains in the more hazardous tier where facial coverings are recommended — for now. Gov. Gavin Newsom announced that he would lift a variety of coronavirus executive orders in the coming days and weeks. But the roughly 5 percent he's retaining are some of the more consequential orders relating to vaccination, testing and health care — and two major antiviral measures remain in place. School mask mandates are foremost on Californians' minds, and we're on the verge of a shift. Newsom has for weeks teased today's announcement about when and how classrooms can go mask-free, vowing that "the masks will come off." Pressure and impatience have mounted as numerous other states moved to nullify their scholastic rules, although most California voters are willing to accept more masking. Newsom's imminent reveal represents a watershed moment in California's long coronavirus campaign. For all those changes, we're still living under a state of emergency. The Newsom administration has emphasized the need to maintain the emergency declaration — which gives the governor the authority to issue all those executive orders — saying officials must be able to respond quickly to an ever-evolving virus. But the closer we get into the endemic phase of coping with Covid indefinitely, the more critics will question the ongoing emergency. Republicans have long rallied against what they call an unchecked and unjustified exertion of executive power. A GOP legislative push to end it will finally get a hearing in a couple of weeks. It could be a while yet. For some historical perspective: Newsom on Friday said he was terminating several states of emergency, born of fires and other natural disasters, some of which have endured since before he took office. One took effect back in 2015. BUENOS DÍAS, good Monday morning. California Supreme Court Justice Leondra Kruger will stay put after not getting the SCOTUS nod. But hey, California still gave America its vice president and House leadership for both parties. Got a tip or story idea for California Playbook? Hit jwhite@politico.com or follow me on Twitter @jeremybwhite. QUOTE OF THE DAY: "Frankly, I think closing their embassy in the United States, kicking every Russian student out of the United States, those should all be on the table. And Vladimir Putin needs to know every day that he is in Ukraine, there are more severe options that could come." Rep. Eric Swalwell embraces a hardline approach to punishing Russia. TWEET OF THE DAY: @VP Kamala Harris on an historic new SCOTUS pick: "President Biden has nominated Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court. She is eminently qualified to serve our nation on our highest court. And while she will be the first Black woman on the Supreme Court, Judge Jackson will not be the last." WHERE'S GAVIN? Nothing official announced. | | | | A message from Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids: Big Tobacco uses sweet candy flavors to hook kids on their dangerous products. Learn more. | | | |  | Top Talkers | | COURT CONFLICTS — "California canceled a $456 million deal for N95 masks in 2020. Now it's getting sued," by the Sac Bee's Dale Kasler: "Filed in Sacramento County Superior Court, the lawsuit represents a potentially costly epilogue to a particularly embarrassing chapter in Gov. Gavin Newsom's administration's early efforts to contain the coronavirus. LAW BEAT —"California Bar investigates after confidential discipline records published online ," by the LATimes' Alejandra Reyes-Velarde: "The State Bar of California is investigating a data breach after learning that a website published confidential information about 260,000 attorney discipline cases in California and other jurisdictions." BEARS, BEETS, BATTLESTAR GALACTICA — " Bear battalion! Hank the Tank is actually 3 bears," by The Associated Press via Nexstar Media Wire: "The bears are responsible for more than 150 incident reports in the region straddling Northern California and Nevada, including a break-in at a residence in the Tahoe Keys neighborhood last week." NO SCHOOL SAVIOR —" Newsom Says He Won't Intervene to Stop Oakland Schools From Permanently Closing," by KQED's Kate Wolffe: "In an interview with KQED, Gov. Gavin Newsom said the state should not get involved in the Oakland school board's recent controversial decision to close, merge or shrink 11 schools over the next two years — a decision that's been met with fury from local families and educators." | | | | HAPPENING TODAY: A WOMEN RULE INTERVIEW: Join Cecilia Rouse, chair of the Council of Economic Advisors, and Morning Money author Kate Davidson for a conversation exploring President Biden's economic agenda, the administration's plans to tackle financial losses women suffered during the pandemic and what it will take to elevate more women to leadership ranks in the U.S. economy. SUBSCRIBE HERE. | | | | | | | CAMPAIGN MODE | |
FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — TEAM ATKINS: Lest there be any doubt that Senate President Pro Tem Toni Atkins wants Sen. Melissa Hurtado to win the newly drawn 16th Senate District after Hurtado shifted to the seat, Atkins is sending a letter to political players today emphasizing that "Senate Democratic Caucus and I strongly support Senator Hurtado" and urging them to do the same.
Hurtado was formerly on an SD-14 collision course with fellow Democratic Sen. Anna Caballero. That won't happen, but at least one Dem already running in SD-16 was not pleased. Former Assembly member Nicole Parra told us last week she's going nowhere: "Let the voters decide," she said. "Not leadership, not the third house." CASH GRAB — "Democrats Apparently Have No Issue Taking Fox's Money," by the Daily Beast's Roger Sollenberger: "Rewinding the clock to the 2018 midterms, Democrats actually came out on top, outraising GOP counterparts by more than $13,000 in contributions from the previous version of the company's PAC." WALKING THE TIGHTROPE — "Commentary: Republican Brian Dahle wants to challenge Newsom and avoid Trump. It won't work, " by the LA Times' Laurel Rosenhall: "Sure, it's refreshing to hear that Republicans and Democrats can drink beer together. But silence about Trump's destructive web of lies is no way to ask for votes." ON THIN ICE—"Satellite images show just how quickly Sierra's snowpack is retreating ," by SF Chronicle's Gwendolyn Wu: "The Sierra snowpack is critical to the state's water supply. As it melts in the warmer months, reservoirs collect the runoff for use for drinking water and agricultural irrigation." | | CALIFORNIA AND THE CAPITOL CORRIDOR | | NO FAITH — "Californians are losing faith in their public schools," by POLITICO's Susannah Luthi: "And while the numbers show a partisan divide, with Republicans and conservatives more critical than Democrats and liberals, public schools aren't faring well with anyone." HALTED — "Hollywood Burbank Airport files environmental lawsuit against California's bullet train," by the LA Times' Ralph Vartabedien: "In the worst case, the suit could force the rail authority to move its right of way, requiring a new environmental analysis and considerable additional costs." TO MASK, OR NOT TO MASK — "California mask mandate: It's fracturing student life," by CalMatters' Joe Hong: "Students on both sides are being harassed for their beliefs, while education officials caught in the crossfire have to reconcile how to enforce COVID-19 protocols and provide an education to all students. Meanwhile, a Feb. 28 update from state officials about school masking policy looms." — "How a single case challenged the LA prosecutor's reform agenda: 'Nobody is happy,' " by the Guardian's Sam Levin: "The critics of more liberal DAs have argued that these problems warrant a tough response. But champions of reform note studies have shown that harsher punishments do not prevent or deter crime and instead can lead to worse public safety outcomes while also disproportionately hurting Black and brown communities." DROUGHT DANGERS — " Drought maps show California is even drier than last year in some parts of the state," by the SF Chronicle's Yoohyun Jung. DOMINO EFFECT — "The Demise of Single-Payer in California Trips Up Efforts in Other States, " by California Healthline's Angela Hart: "Instead, the first-term Democrat, who is running for reelection this November, is pushing for "universal health care," which aims to provide all Californians with coverage but, unlike single-payer, would keep private health insurance intact." CUTTING SOME SLACK — " As Californians retrofit homes against wildfires, state demands insurers cut them a break," by the Sac Bee's Dale Kasler: "While the Department of Insurance can't order insurers where to sell coverage, it does have broad authority over how much companies can charge policyholders." | | | | A message from Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids:   | | |
WHEW! "Major hurdle cleared in plan to demolish 4 California dams," by the AP's Gillian Flaccus: "The aging dams near the Oregon-California border were built before current environmental regulations and essentially cut the 253-mile-long (407-kilometer-long) river in half for migrating salmon, whose numbers have plummeted."
FOREST FRIGHTS — "Drought, fires and beetles — California's forests are dying. Is it too late to save them? " by the SF Chronicle's Kurtis Alexander: "The timberland, notably conifer forest, has become increasingly prone to losing biodiversity, giving way to encroaching shrubs and grasslands, and burning up in wildfire." — "COVID-19 has turned deadlier for Black Californians, who have the state's lowest vaccination rate, " by CalMatters' Kristen Hwang: "And while statewide deaths from COVID have declined in the past week, they have continued to rise for African Americans." THE ROAD AHEAD — "After recall, Chinese locals eye replacements — and each other, " by Mission Local's Yujie Zhou: "And it remains a key point of contention whether the mayor should appoint leaders of the recall campaign to the Board of Education: Outsiders complain this has the whiff of a coup, while recall insiders worry about the appearance of self-serving behavior." NEW RULES — " Training and discipline proposed for LAPD officers in new policy on traffic stops," by the LA Times' Kevin Rector: "If the proposal passes, which is expected, officers would be required to record themselves on their body-worn cameras before or during stops explaining why they suspect a person of committing a more serious crime." — "Inside the Tenderloin, can a city fix a neighborhood while staying true to its values?" by the Washington Post's Scott Wilson: "San Francisco, one of the bluest cities in America, has leaders struggling to balance Democratic principles with practicality." | | BIDEN, HARRIS AND THE HILL | |
THE BIG REVEAL — "Ketanji Brown Jackson is the first Black woman selected for the nation's top court, " by POLITICO's Josh Gerstein: "Jackson emerged as Biden's top choice during a month-long search process that reportedly involved the president interviewing at least three women jurists: Jackson, South Carolina federal Judge Michelle Childs and California Supreme Court Justice Leondra Kruger."
| | SILICON VALLEYLAND | | — "Pressure mounts on major tech companies to take tougher line against Russia," by the Washington Post's Cat Zakrzewski: "Mykhailo Fedorov, Ukraine's digital minister, on Friday sent a letter to Apple CEO Tim Cook, calling on him to stop supplying products and services, including the App Store, to Russia." — "Google puts millions toward San Jose community projects," by the San Jose Spotlight's Jana Kadah: "Since the land was already purchased by Google, the city was not concerned about residents or businesses being pushed out. Rather, displacement concerns are due to rising costs that will come from living in redeveloped downtown." — "They weren't paid. They were given HR and manager duties. Former interns say this Silicon Valley startup exploited them, " by the SF Chronicle's Carolyn Said: "Many of the interns said that they, while still unpaid, were promoted to supervise other unpaid interns, ranging from a few people to dozens in some instances." | | | | SUBSCRIBE TO NATIONAL SECURITY DAILY : Keep up with the latest critical developments from Ukraine and across Europe in our daily newsletter, National Security Daily. The Russian invasion of Ukraine could disrupt the established world order and result in a refugee crisis, increased cyberattacks, rising energy costs and additional disruption to global supply chains. Go inside the top national security and foreign-policymaking shops for insight on the global threats faced by the U.S. and its allies and what actions world leaders are taking to address them. Subscribe today. | | | | | | | HOLLYWOODLAND | |
LOOKING IN THE MIRROR — "In Rick Caruso's L.A. Mayoral Bid, Hollywood Heavies See Themselves," by the Hollywood Reporter's Gary Baum: "Caruso is proposing a technocratic list of policies and reforms to address the city's myriad ills, underscored by his leadership experience. The logline: Mike Bloomberg, this time with charisma, rescues the City of Angels."
| | MEDIA MATTERS | |
— Sophia Bollag is moving on from the Sac Bee's Capitol Bureau, taking a job covering California politics for the SF Chronicle.
| | MIXTAPE | |
— "Zebras & Giraffes & Llamas, Oh My! A California Ranch With Exotic-Animal Reserve Lists for $22.95 Million," by the Wall Street Journal's Libertina Brandt.
— "Tears, anger as tribal leaders are sentenced in California casino embezzlement," by the Sac Bee's Sam Stanton. — " Meth: San Francisco's drug crisis within a drug crisis," by the SF Examiner's Sydney Johnson. — " Sacramento residents gave away food from outdoor fridges. The city threatened code violations," by the Sac Bee's Theresa Clift. — "So you want to build an ADU in California? Here's what you need to know, " by the LA Times' Jon Healey. — "These maps show no one can agree on S.F. neighborhood boundaries — not even San Francisco city departments," by the SF Chronicle's Nami Sumida. —"'When there are troubles, we go to God': Ukrainian Americans gather in grief at L.A. church," by the LATimes' Sarah Parvini. | | BIRTHDAYS | |
SATURDAY: Li Zhou ... Sydney Ellis
SUNDAY: Uber's Joe Kamali … Noah Emmerich … Nikki Than TODAY: Adam Sieff … YouTube's Mark Lippert … Adrian Durbin … Amazon's Cara Hewitt … Linda Preiss Rothschild | | | | A message from Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids: It's time for Los Angeles lawmakers to step up and put our kids' health above Big Tobacco's profits. End the sale of all flavored tobacco products. Learn more. | | |
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